Venu Isc

Venu Isc’s filmography is a bit of a wild ride through different eras and moods in Malayalam cinema. Take “Nammal” (2002), for example—this one’s got that college nostalgia thing going on, but it’s not all fun and games. Sure, the main crew’s pulling pranks and skipping classes like you’d expect, but there’s a whole undercurrent of class divide, ambition, and, honestly, a lot of heart. It’s kind of refreshing, because just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the film throws in these little emotional gut punches, and suddenly, everyone’s growing up way faster than they planned. Then you jump to “Carbon” (2018), which is a completely different beast. Here, you’ve got Fahadh Faasil wandering through forests, chasing after elusive treasures and, honestly, maybe running from himself a bit. It’s half adventure, half existential crisis, with a bunch of quirky characters thrown in—each one a little weirder and more interesting than the last. The landscape almost becomes a character, and you can practically feel the humidity and the uncertainty weighing down on everyone. And then, way back to “Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal” (1986), which is just… iconic. It’s romance, but not the sugary kind. There’s poetry in the everyday, a lot of longing glances, and a stubborn refusal to sugarcoat reality. The vineyards, the rain, the heartbreak—it’s all steeped in a kind of melancholy that sticks with you. Venu Isc’s work zigzags through genres, but each film gets under your skin in its own way.